The purpose of the Institutional Research and Academic
Career Development Award (IRACDA) Program is to develop a group of highly
trained biomedical scientists to address the Nation’s biomedical workforce
needs. The strategy is to promote effective partnerships between
research-intensive institutions (RII) and partner institutions that have a
historical mission or a demonstrated commitment to educating students from
backgrounds underrepresented in the biomedical research enterprise of the
nation. The IRACDA program provides support for a traditional mentored
postdoctoral research experience at an RII combined with an opportunity for
these fellows to develop critical academic skills, including teaching,
through workshops and mentored teaching assignments at a partner institution.
The primary goals of the IRACDA program are to (1) develop a group of highly
trained biomedical scientists who have the necessary knowledge and skills to
pursue independent research and teaching careers in academia; and (2) enhance
science educational offerings at partner institutions, and promote links
between RII and the partner institution(s) through research and teaching
collaborations.

Key Dates

Posted Date

February 19, 2016

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)

August 19, 2016

Letter of Intent Due Date(s)

Not Applicable

Application Due Date(s)

September 19, 2016; September 19, 2017; September 19, 2018,
by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of non-AIDS applications allowed
for this funding opportunity announcement are due on these dates.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate
time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the
submission process by the due date.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and
Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission
options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.

The overall goal of NIH Research Career Development programs
is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available
in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation’s biomedical,
behavioral, and clinical needs. More information about Career programs may be
found at the NIH Extramural
Training Mechanisms website.

The proposed institutional research career development program may complement
other, ongoing research training and career development programs at the
applicant institution, but the proposed career development experiences must be
distinct from those career development programs currently receiving Federal
support.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages
applications from research-intensive institutions (RIIs) that propose to
develop a pool of highly trained biomedical scientists who have the necessary
knowledge and skills to pursue research and teaching careers in academia, and
to enhance science educational offerings at partner institutions which, for the
purposes of this FOA, are institutions that have a historical mission or a
demonstrated commitment to educating students from diverse backgrounds
underrepresented in the biomedical research enterprise of the nation, as
described in NOT-OD-15-053.

NIGMS recognizes the growing need for future faculty who can
not only conduct research, but who are also effective in the classroom. Teaching
is the central mission of partner institutions, yet it can be a challenge to
enrich the curriculum with the most contemporary research topics and laboratory
experiences when faculty have less time and resources to engage in their
respective research areas. A mentored teaching experience for postdoctoral
fellows who are actively engaged in research can address this challenge and may
also provide an opportunity to expand the repertoire of science courses offered
at the partner institution. A separate but contemporary problem is that many
new scientists find that the traditional postdoctoral research experience does
not provide the best preparation and experience for entering an academic
environment in which teaching and other problem-solving skills are essential.

The IRACDA program provides support for a traditional
mentored postdoctoral research experience at an RII combined with an
opportunity to develop critical academic skills, including teaching, through pedagogy
workshops and mentored teaching assignments of postdoctoral fellows at a partner
institution.

The mission of the National Institute of General Medical
Sciences (NIGMS) is to support research that increases our understanding of
life processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease, diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention. To ensure the vitality and continued
productivity of the research enterprise, NIGMS provides leadership in the areas
of (a) training the next generation of scientists in basic and general
biological and biomedical sciences, (b) enhancing the diversity of the scientific
workforce, and (c) developing research capacities throughout the country. To
accomplish these objectives, NIGMS supports a variety of capacity building and
training programs with the ultimate goal of developing a diverse pool of
well-trained scientists available to address the nation’s research needs.

NIGMS seeks to increase the number of individuals from
groups underrepresented in the biomedical workforce by providing training
opportunities during multiple training and career stages at varied institutions
and educational settings across the country. By increasing the number of
students from underrepresented groups pursuing advanced training in the
biomedical sciences, NIGMS strives to ensure that the future generation of
researchers draws from the entire pool of talented individuals, bringing
different aptitudes, perspectives, creativity, and experiences to address
complex scientific problems.

Accordingly, the teaching experience is to be conducted at
institutions that serve groups underrepresented in biomedical research (see
Section III.1 “Partner Institutions”) with the expectation that this will
further foster the development of the next generation of a diverse pool of
scientists who are available to address the nation’s research needs. Training
and retaining a diverse workforce ensures that the nation remains a competitive
global leader in discovery and innovation in biomedical research.

Goals
and Objectives

The primary goals of the IRACDA program are to (1) develop a
group of highly trained biomedical scientists who have the necessary knowledge
and skills to pursue independent research and teaching careers in academia; and
(2) enhance science educational offerings at partner institutions, and promote
links between RIIs and partner institutions through research and teaching
collaborations. The specific objectives of this initiative are to:

Develop the research, teaching, and other skills that are needed by
postdoctoral scholars in order to conduct high-quality research and pursue an
independent research and teaching career in an academic environment;

Foster the development of research-oriented science curricula,
using contemporary teaching strategies, at partner institutions; and

Promote links between RIIs and partner institutions that can lead
to further collaborations in faculty research and student training.

Program
Elements

The IRACDA mechanism provides support for the design of a
creative and innovative research career development program that combines a
traditional mentored research experience at an RII with an opportunity to
develop teaching and other academic skills, such as problem solving,
communication, time management, and grant writing, as well as opportunities for
career development through workshops and mentored assignments at a partner
institution. The program promotes effective partnership between an RII and
partner institution(s), and encourages innovative solutions to the problems of
attracting and training postdoctoral candidates in both research and academic
skills and of increasing educational opportunities for students at partner
institutions.

The IRACDA Program recognizes that combining research and
teaching in a single career development program offers certain challenges.
Designing a program that moves a postdoctoral scholar between partners of a
consortium offers other challenges. Therefore, the application must provide
strong evidence of a solid working relationship among partners of the
consortium and must include plans that anticipate and mitigate the challenges.
The application should involve all partners in the planning and execution of
the various elements of the career development program. The following should be
considered and addressed in planning and design of an IRACDA program:

Geographic location of the participating institutions;

The academic environment, including the curricular content and
quality, and opportunities for developing new courses, or revising/updating
existing courses, in the biomedical sciences at the partner institution(s);

Student demographics, including the number of underrepresented
students at the partner institution(s) that go on to complete the Ph.D. degree
in biomedical sciences;

Faculty demographics, including the number of faculty who have
externally funded research programs at the partner institution(s) and the
status of their existing collaborations with faculty at RIIs;

Pool of research mentors and postdoctoral scholars at the RII who
may be interested in participating in the combined research and academic career
development program; and

Institutional track record of scholars in the traditional
postdoctoral research program at the RII in publishing, grant writing, and
obtaining research and teaching positions.

Applicant institutions have wide latitude in the design of
the program. However, career development activities, which should last two to
four years (see below), must include the following three elements that sum to
K12 participants dedicated 100% effort to this appointment:

A mentored research experience that is typical of other
competitive postdoctoral opportunities. The research mentor will sponsor and
oversee the proposed research development program and will ensure that the
candidate receives the proper guidance and mentoring for a future independent
research career. The candidate may conduct collaborative research with other
experienced researchers, subject to approval of the mentor. Approximately 9
person-months (75% of full-time professional effort) of the effort must be
spent on this activity.

A mentored teaching experience, the practicum of which will take
place at a partner institution.

Other mentored and/or didactic experiences to improve critical
academic skills (e.g., problem-solving, communication, time management, and
grant writing) and provide career development opportunities that are deemed
important for an individual to prosper in an academic environment.
Approximately 3 person-months (25% of full-time professional effort) of the
effort must be spent on mentored teaching and other mentored and/or didactic experiences,
the timing of which may be flexible over the duration of the award.

The Program must have a strong research base, comprised of
established scientists who will provide expertise, resources, and mentoring to
the IRACDA scholars. The mentored research experience must fall within the
scope of the NIGMS mission (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/About/),
which is to support research that increases understanding of life processes and
lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and
prevention. NIGMS-funded researchers seek to answer important scientific
questions in fields such as cell biology, biophysics, genetics, developmental
biology, pharmacology, physiology, biological chemistry, bioinformatics,
computational biology, selected aspects of the behavioral sciences and specific
cross-cutting clinical areas that affect multiple organ systems. Further
details on the NIGMS-supported major research and research training areas can
be found at: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/About/Overview/).

The applicant institutions have flexibility in program
design, including the flexibility in scheduling of research and teaching elements.
For example, a plan might involve large blocks of time devoted to research
separated by a large block of time devoted to teaching. Alternatively, the
workshops, didactics and teaching may represent 3 person-months (25% of
full-time professional effort) throughout the calendar or academic year. The
program provides support to postdoctoral scholars in their research at RIIs and
in teaching assignments at partner institutions.

The scholars may be supported full-time on IRACDA funding
for up to three years provided their progress toward an independent academic
career is on track and satisfactory. Applicants may, and are indeed encouraged
to, propose the use of non-IRACDA funds to provide a four-year career
development program, with the first or the last three years of support from IRACDA
and the remaining one year's support from the mentor or other source(s).

NIGMS anticipates that most programs will have three-four
fellows per cohort for an average size of 9-12 active scholars supported by the
IRACDA funding at any one time. Applicants must justify the proposed program
size based on the research capacity and pool of research mentors and
postdoctoral scholars at the RII who may be interested in participating in the
combined research and academic career development program, and the pool of
teaching mentors available at the partner institution(s). For renewal
applications from programs with an exceptionally large pool of scholars and
mentors, as well as an outstanding track record of scholar placement
post-training, NIGMS will consider requests for larger cohorts but, because of
budget constraints, will provide support for only a maximum of 18 fellows in a
given year and for three years per fellow.

Awardees are expected to attend the annual IRACDA
Conference. The conference is organized by the grantee institutions on a
rotating basis. To defray the cost of organizing the conference, the grantee
institution may use grant funds for allowable costs, and other institutional
and non-institutional resources; NIGMS may also consider a request for
supplementary funds, provided it is reasonable and well justified. Program
Directors, as well as IRACDA scholars are expected to attend this meeting.
These meetings feature keynote presentations by invited guests who are leaders
in the areas of science, education, and public policy and administration. The
IRACDA scholars are encouraged to present their career development
award-supported research to their peers. The conference also provides an
opportunity for the Program Directors, program staff, and IRACDA scholars to
exchange ideas about the effective teaching pedagogies, talk about common
problems and suggest solutions, and interact with their peers and NIGMS staff.

The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations
and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Award Budget

Application budgets are not limited, but need to reflect the
actual needs of the proposed project.

Award Project Period

The scope of the proposed project should determine the
project period. The maximum project period is 5 years.

Other Award Budget
Information

Personnel Costs

Individuals designing, directing, and implementing the
career development program may request salary and fringe benefits appropriate
for the person months devoted to the program. Salaries requested may not
exceed the levels commensurate with the institution's policy for similar
positions and may not exceed the congressionally mandated cap. If mentoring
interactions and other activities with scholars are considered a regular part
of an individual's academic duties, then mentoring and other interactions
with scholars are non-reimbursable from grant funds.

Limited program-related administrative and clerical salary
costs associated distinctly with the program that are not normally provided
by the applicant organization may be direct charges to the grant only when
they are in accordance with applicable cost principles. When
specifically identified and justified, these expenses must be itemized in
Sections A and B, as appropriate, of the R&R Budget.

Salary support for the PD/PI/co-Investigators (or
combination of multiple PDs/PIs/co-Investigators) is limited to up to 1.2
person months (i.e., 10% on a 12-month basis), depending on the number of
fellows in the program and person months devoted to the administration of the
program.

The total salary support for other administrative
personnel (e.g., program administrator/program coordinator and/or program
assistant) at the RII is limited to up to 6.0 person months (i.e., 50% on a
12-month basis), depending on the number of fellows in the program and person
months devoted to the administration of the program.

Salary support for a Program Coordinator at the partner
institution is allowed; this support is limited to up to 0.6 person months
(i.e., a total of 5% on a 12-month basis) per partner institution, depending
on the number of fellows mentored at the partner institution and person
months devoted to the coordination of the program. The application must
identify the program coordinator(s) (include their biographical sketches),
and their duties and responsibilities must be well described in the budget
justification.

Salary support for the teaching mentor(s) at the partner
institution is limited to up to 2.4 person months (i.e., a total of 20% on a
12-month basis) per partner institution, depending on the number of fellows
mentored and person months devoted to the mentoring activities. The
application must identify the teaching mentor(s) (include their biographical
sketches), and their duties and responsibilities must be well described in
the budget justification.

Participant Costs

Scholars are those individuals who benefit from the
proposed activities and experiences involved in the career development
program. Scholar costs must be justified as specifically required for the
proposed career development program and based on institutional policies for
salaries paid to individuals in similar positions, regardless of the source
of funds.

The budget request for scholars cost may include
salary/wages and fringe benefits to support full-time effort of the IRACDA
scholars. The total salary requested for each scholar must be based on a
full-time, 12-month staff appointment. The applicants should use their
institutional salary scale that is consistent both with the established
salary structure at the applicant institution and with salaries actually
provided by the institution from its own funds to other staff members of
equivalent qualifications, rank, and responsibilities in the department
concerned. If full-time, 12-month salaries are not currently paid to
comparable staff members, the salary proposed must be appropriately related
to the existing salary structure. Salaries and fringe benefits for planned
effort less than full time must be pro-rated accordingly in the application.

The application should clearly indicate the number of
IRACDA appointments proposed for each year. The scholars may be supported on
IRACDA funding for up to three years provided their progress towards an
independent academic career is on track and satisfactory.

Other Program Related Expenses

Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key
persons, and other program-related expenses may be included in the proposed
budget. These expenses must be justified as specifically required by the
proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the
applicant institution. The program-related expenses must be itemized in
Sections C, D, and F, as appropriate.

Costs of academic skills development workshops (e.g.,
problem-solving, communication, time management, and grant-writing), up to $10,000/year,
are allowed, but these costs must be reasonable and well justified.

Costs of tuition remission and fees (up to
$1,000/scholar/year) related to the career development of IRACDA scholars,
teaching and other supplies (up to $5,000/scholar/year), and scholars’ travel
(up to $2,000/fellow/year) to one training or national scientific meeting per
year in addition to the annual IRACDA Conference may be requested.

Costs for evaluation of the program must be well-justified
and are only allowed during the first and the fourth year of the program. If
the evaluator is an employee of an institution within the consortium, the
cost must be included in the category of key personnel salary (effort listed
in person months).

Travel expenses (up to $5,000/year) are also allowed for
the program staff [PD(s), program administrator(s), and program
coordinators(s) at the RII and partner institution(s)] to attend the annual
IRACDA Conference and should be included in the budget.

Indirect Costs

Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities &
Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct
costs (exclusive of tuition and fees, consortium costs in excess of $25,000,
and expenditures for equipment), rather than on the basis of a negotiated
rate agreement.

NIH grants policies as
described in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement will apply
to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Section III. Eligibility
Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions

Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education

Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher
Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public
or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

An IRACDA program involves a consortium of multiple
institutions. The lead applicant institution must be an RII, and it must serve
as the primary site of the postdoctoral research experience.

Partner Institutions

The consortium must include one or more partners that are
institutions which, for the purposes of this FOA, are defined as public or
private nonprofit universities, two-year or four-year colleges or universities,
offering associate and/or baccalaureate degrees with a historical mission or a
demonstrated commitment to educating students from diverse backgrounds
underrepresented in biomedical research as defined in NOT-OD-15-053.

The sponsoring institution must assure support for the
proposed program.

The applicant institution
must have a strong and high-quality
research program in the area(s) proposed under this FOA and must have the
requisite faculty and facilities on site to conduct the proposed institutional
program. In many cases, it is anticipated that the proposed program will
complement other ongoing career development programs occurring at the applicant
institution and that a substantial number of program faculty will have active
research projects in which participating scholars may gain relevant experiences
consistent with their research interests and goals.

Foreign Institutions

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are
not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in
the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Required Registrations

Applicant
Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the
following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide
to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed
prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or
more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible.
The NIH
Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to
complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a
late submission.

Dun and Bradstreet
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that
applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants
can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be
used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.

System for Award Management (SAM)
(formerly CCR) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least
annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the
initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial
and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not
already been assigned a CAGE Code.

eRA Commons - Applicants
must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the
eRA Commons registration. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as
they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration. eRA Commons requires
organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one
Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an
application.

Grants.gov – Applicants
must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the
Grants.gov registration.

Program
Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.
PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either
create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant
organization in eRA Commons.If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing
Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role.
Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal
Investigator)

Any individual(s) with
the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research training program as the
Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to
develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial
and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always
encouraged to apply for NIH support.

The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the
scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing
both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and
implementation of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor
and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications
under review at the same time. This means that the NIH will not accept:

A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the
summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission
(A1) application.

A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance
of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.

An application that has substantial overlap with another
application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NOT-OD-11-101).

Only one application per institution is allowed and an
institution may only hold one IRACDA grant award.

This institutional research career development program (K12)
may not be transferred from one institution to another.

Preceptors/Mentors

Program
faculty should have strong records as researchers, including recent
publications and successful competition for research support in the area of the
proposed research training program. Program faculty should also have a
record of research training, including successful, former trainees who have
established productive careers relevant to the NIH mission. Researchers
from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, persons with
disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as mentors.

Mentors should have research expertise and experience
relevant to the proposed program. Mentors must be committed to continue their
involvement throughout the total period of the award. Faculty research mentors
at the applicant institution must have active, externally funded research
projects relevant to the mission of NIGMS, and track records in mentoring and
training students and postdoctoral researchers. The mentors do not receive
support for their salaries or fringe benefits from the career development
award. Mentors may be added as appropriate to the roster of an ongoing funded
IRACDA program without prior NIGMS approval.

Teaching mentors from the partner institution(s) must have a
strong record of teaching. They are expected to facilitate the postdoctoral
fellows’ adjustment to the academic environment of the partner institution and
provide guidance and mentoring on teaching skills as well as teaching-related
challenges and opportunities at the partner institution.

Scholars

Postdoctoral scholars to be supported by the institutional
career development program must be at the career level for which the planned
program is intended. IRACDA scholars are expected to devote a minimum of 9
person-months (75% of full-time professional effort) to the mentored research
and the remaining 3 person-months (25% of full-time professional effort) to the
mentored teaching and other mentored and/or didactic experiences, during their appointment
on the K12 award

By the time of appointment, each scholar must be a citizen
or a non-citizen national of the United States who has been lawfully admitted
for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident
Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status). Individuals
on temporary or student visas are not eligible.

Postdoctoral scholars must have received, as of the
beginning date of the IRACDA appointment, a Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., or comparable
doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution.
Documentation by an authorized official of the degree-granting institution
certifying all degree requirements have been met prior to the beginning date of
the training appointment is acceptable. Candidates should be early in their
postdoctoral stage, with no more than 2 years since the date of their doctoral
degree. Candidates must be committed to research and have the potential to
develop as independent researchers.

It is the responsibility of the applicant institution to
establish the qualifications of candidates prior to their appointment in the
IRACDA Program.

Institutions with an IRACDA program may recruit and select
candidates directly into their programs rather than submitting a separate
application on behalf of each prospective candidate. The candidates need not be
identified at the time the application is submitted.

Section IV. Application
and Submission Information

1. Requesting an
Application Package

Applicants must obtain the SF424 (R&R) application
package associated with this funding opportunity using the “Apply for Grant Electronically”
button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in
the SF424
(R&R) Application Guide including Supplemental
Grant Application Instructions except where instructed in this funding
opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in
the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are
out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for
review.

All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide and the Table of
Page Limits must be followed.

Instructions
for Application Submission

The following section supplements the instructions found in
the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an
application to this FOA.

SF424(R&R) Cover

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide.

SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide for Preparing Institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National
Research Service Award (NRSA), with the following additional modifications:

Substitute
the term “scholars” for all references to “trainees” in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide, and substitute the term “career development” for all references
to “training” in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Project
Summary/Abstract. Provide an abstract of the entire application.
Include the objectives, rationale and design of the research career development
program, as well as key activities in the training plan. Indicate the plannedduration of appointments, the projected number of scholars and intended scholar
outcomes.

Other
Attachments.An Advisory Committee
is not a required component of a training program. However, if an
Advisory Committee is intended, provide a plan for the appointment of an
Advisory Committee to monitor progress of the career development program. The
composition, roles, responsibilities, and desired expertise of committee
members, frequency of committee meetings, and other relevant information should
be included. Describe how the Advisory Committee will evaluate the overall
effectiveness of the program. Proposed Advisory Committee members should be
named in the application only if they
have been invited to participate at the time the application is submitted. Renewal
applications with Advisory Committees should include the names of all committee
members during the past project period. Please name your file
“Advisory_Committee.pdf”.

The
filename provided for each “Other Attachment” will be the name used for the
bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide.

PHS 398 Training Subaward Budget Attachment(s)

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide.

Research and Related (R&R) Budget

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide with the following additional modifications:

Include all personnel other than the Training PD(s)/PI(s) in the
Other Personnel section, including clerical and administrative staff. Also
include proposed salary costs for planned scholars.

Do not complete the section on Participant Support Costs.

PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan

The PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan Form is comprised
of the following sections:

Training Program

Faculty, Trainees, and Training Record

Other Training Program Sections

Appendix

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide with the following additional modifications:

Substitute the term
“scholars” for all references to “trainees” in the SF424 (R&R) Application
Guide, and substitute the term “career development” for all references to
“training” in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Training Program

Program
Plan

Program
Administration.

Institutions with existing programs must explain what
distinguishes this program from the others, how their programs will synergize
with one another, if applicable, and make it clear that the pool of faculty,
potential scholars, and resources are robust enough to support additional
programs. When a program administrator position is planned, a description of
the scientific expertise, leadership, and administrative capabilities essential
to coordinate a program for developing investigators must be included in the
application.

Proposed
Training.

Describe the immediate and
long-term objectives of the proposed career development program, including
activities that will be used to ensure that the objectives of the program are
met. Include information about planned courses, seminars, workshops, or
tutorials that will be incorporated into the training program and mentored
research experiences and activities. The description should include planned
strategies to be used to ensure that the objectives are met. The application
must describe the teaching training, how the teaching mentors will be assigned
to and interact with the scholars, what courses are accessible to the scholars
at the partner institution(s), what courses the partner institution(s) now
offers and what it would like to offer, and how the scholars will contribute to
the teaching mission of the partner institution(s). In addition to describing
how the proposed activities will advance the preparation of the scholars for
academic research and teaching careers, benefits to the partner institution may
also be described. The application must describe how the partner institution
will incorporate new or revised courses into the curriculum and how
collaboration between the research intensive institution and partner
institution will be enhanced to meet the goals of this FOA stated in Part 2,
Section I.

NIGMS strongly encourages
the use of individual development plans (IDP) for all scholars supported by the
IRACDA program, and each application should describe a plan to implement the
IDP for all scholars. The application must describe the plan for professional
development of the postdoctoral scholars, including problem solving,
communication, time management, and leadership skills, as well as career
guidance including instruction and training in grant writing in order to apply
successfully for future fellowships and career development and independent
research support. All postdoctoral scholars should also be provided with
instruction in laboratory and project management.

IRACDA/K12 applicants also
are encouraged to review NIH Notice NOT-OD-16-034 (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-16-034.html).
This Notice describes upcoming requirements for formal instruction in rigorous
experimental design and transparency to enhance reproducibility. Applicants
should review the Notice and plan for implementation of this training in the
IRACDA/K12 career development program.

For renewal applications, a
detailed progress report must be included following the instructions for a
postdoctoral NRSA training grant application. The progress report section must
include information on: a) goals and objectives stated in the previous
application, b) career development activities, including mentored research and
teaching, and course work, workshops, seminars and other activities conducted
as part of the program, c) recruitment and appointment of scholars, and
program's overall accomplishments in preparing scholars for careers as
scientists who pursue independent research and teaching careers in academia, d)
a list of scholar-authored peer-reviewed publications [must be in compliance
with the NIH Public Access Policy rules (
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-15-091.html)], e) a
summary of the program evaluation outcome, and any changes made to the program
as a result of the evaluation or for other reasons. The progress report must
also contain a one-page narrative prepared by the Program Coordinator at the
partner institution that provides a detailed explanation of how the partner
institution has benefited from the IRACDA program in the previous cycle.

The progress report must
also include the list of appointed (program-supported) scholars; and their
current career status (e.g., faculty position at RII, liberal arts, partner
institution; research in industry or government; and administration, etc.).
Applicants should use the selected training tables (i.e. Tables 2, 4, 5b, 6b,
and 8c) associated with the SF424. If relevant, additional explanation may be
provided in the narrative. The application should describe any previously
funded IRACDA activities that are now continuing (or will continue) on
institutional funds. If none, so indicate.

Institutional
Environment and Commitment to the Program.

The sponsoring institution must assure support for
the proposed program including assurance that sufficient time will be allowed
for the PDs/PIs and other Program Faculty to contribute to the proposed program,
and that there will be protected time for scholars (9 person months, equivalent
to 75%) selected for the program.

Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of
Research

Individuals are required to comply with the
instructions for Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research as
provided in Chapter 8 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits.
Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

Form only available in FORMS-E application packages for use with due dates on or after January 25, 2018.

When involving NIH-defined human subjects research, clinical research, and/or clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered "Yes" to the question "Are Human Subjects Involved?" on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include a Delayed Onset Study record. DO NOT complete a full study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form.

PHS Assignment Request Form

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide
must be followed.

3. Unique Entity Identifier
and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 1. Section III.1 for information regarding the
requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and
maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO
Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and
Grants.gov

4. Submission Dates and
Times

Part I. Overview Information
contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to
submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any
application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When
a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal
holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next
business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants
across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission
process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants
administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many
of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a
changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the
application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted
after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that
miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application
Submission.

Applicants are
responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA
Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time
submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission
process, visit Applying
Electronically. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that
threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must
follow the Guidelines
for Applicants Experiencing System Issues. For assistance with application
submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important
reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in
the Credential fieldof the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the
SF424(R&R) Application Package.Failure to register in the Commons
and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent
the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the
application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA
Commons and for the System for Award Management (SAM). Additional information
may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for
completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for
Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete or non-compliant will
not be reviewed.

Requests of $500,000 or more for direct costs in any year

Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in
any year (excluding consortium F&A) must contact a Scientific/ Research Contact at least 6 weeks
before submitting the application and follow the Policy on the Acceptance for
Review of Unsolicited Applications that Request $500,000 or More in Direct
Costs as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide..

Only the review criteria described below will be considered
in the review process. As part of the NIH mission,
all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral
research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer
review system.

Overall Impact

Reviewers
will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of
the likelihood that the proposed training
program will prepare individuals for successful, productive scientific research
careers and thereby exert a sustained influence on the research field(s)
involved, in
consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria
(as applicable for the project proposed).

Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each
of the review criteria below in the determination of the merit of the training
program, and give a separate score for each. When applicable, the reviewers will consider relevant questions in the
context of proposed short-term training. An
application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to
have major scientific impact.

Career Development Program and
Environment

Does the proposed program clearly outline a plan to
recruit and develop well-qualified postdoctoral scholars for successful
careers as biomedical or clinical researchers?

Is there evidence of an adequate pool of potential
scholars who could benefit from receiving career development support?

Are the content and duration of any proposed didactic,
training-related, and research-related activities of the program
appropriate?

Are appropriate timelines indicated for career progression
and transition to non-mentored academic careers?

Does the institutional environment (e.g., research
facilities and other relevant resources) in which the program will be
conducted contribute to the probability of success?

Does the proposed career development program benefit from
unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or
employ useful collaborative arrangements?

Is the institutional commitment from the Research
Intensive and Partner Institution(s) to the proposed program appropriate?

If multiple partner institutions are participating, is
this adequately justified in terms of the career development and teaching experiences
provided?

Is there sufficient assurance that the required effort on
the part of the scholars will be devoted directly to the research
training, career development, and related activities?

When applicable, is there adequate documentation describing the
responsibilities of the advisory committee with regard to the provision of
input, guidance and oversight of the program?

Is there evidence of a functional partnership, with commitment
and involvement in planning on the part of all partners as well as strengths of
the efforts of the partner institution(s), to foster the professional
development of the postdoctoral scholars in the biomedical and behavioral
sciences?

In what ways does the proposed program provide substantial
benefit to the partner institution(s) and its students?

Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s)
(PD(s)/PI(s))

Do the PD/PI and Research Administrator (if applicable) have the
experience to develop, direct and administer the proposed program?

Does the leadership team bring complementary and integrated
expertise to the program?

Is there evidence that an appropriate level of effort will be
devoted by the program leadership to ensure program objectives?

Are the research qualifications, scientific stature, previous
leadership and mentoring experience, and track record(s) appropriate for the
proposed career development program?

Are the PD(s)/PI(s) currently engaged in research relevant to the
scientific area of the proposed program?

Does the program coordinator(s) have the experience and stature
to effectively coordinate the mentored teaching component of the program at the
respective partner institution(s)?

For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs:

Is a
strong justification provided that the multiple PD/PI leadership approach will
benefit the career development program and the scholars?

Is a
strong and compelling leadership approach evident, including the designated
roles and responsibilities, governance, and organizational structure consistent
with and justified by the aims of the career development program and the
complementary expertise of the PDs/PIs?

Mentors

Do the research
and teaching mentors have appropriate expertise and experience?

Is there
evidence of a successful past training record of the PD/PI and research
mentors, including the success of former scholars in seeking independent
support and establishing productive scientific careers?

Are the
quality and extent of the mentors’ roles in providing guidance and
scientific or teaching advice to the scholars acceptable? Are the research
mentors currently engaged in relevant research?

Scholars

Is a recruitment plan proposed with strategies likely to attract
high quality scholar candidates with a commitment to research, the potential to
develop as independent researchers, and commitment to pursue an academic career?

Are there well-defined and well-justified recruitment and
selection strategies?

Is there evidence of a sufficiently large, competitive scholar
pool to warrant the proposed size of the career development
program?

Are the content, phasing, and proposed duration of the career
development plan appropriate for achieving scientific independence of the
scholar candidates?

What is the likelihood that the career development plan will
contribute significantly to the scientific development of the scholars?

Does the plan for selection of the scholars include all of the
eligibility criteria stated in the FOA?

Do the Individual Development Plans include both research and
academic career related goals and objectives for each participant?

Record of Training and Benefit for Partner
Institution(s)

Does the program have a rigorous evaluation plan to assess the
quality and effectiveness of the training?

What are the quality, and effectiveness of this program in
developing postdoctoral scholars as scientists who pursue independent research
and teaching careers in academia?

Is there evidence of measurable benefits to partner
institution(s), including adoption of scholar-developed new and/or
revised/updated courses into the regular departmental curriculum; and increased
research collaborations between faculty from RII and the partner institution(s)?

Additional Review Criteria

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will
evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and
technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give
separate scores for these items.

Protections for Human Subjects

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any
concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and
Children

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any
concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Vertebrate
Animals

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any
concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Biohazards

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any
concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Resubmissions

For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the
application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to
comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the
project.

Renewals

For Renewals, the committee will consider the
progress made in the last funding period, including on the Recruitment Plan to
Enhance Diversity, and Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research.
Does the application describe the program’s accomplishments over the past
funding period(s)? Are changes proposed that would improve or strengthen
the career development experience? Is there evidence of a successful past
training record of the PD/PI and mentors, including the success of former
scholars in seeking independent support and establishing productive scientific research
careers?

Revisions

Not Applicable

Additional Review Considerations

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will
consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items,
and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score

Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity

Peer
reviewers will separately evaluate the recruitment plan to enhance diversity
after the overall score has been determined. Reviewers will examine the
strategies to be used in the recruitment of individuals from underrepresented
groups. The plan will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and
the consensus of the review committee will be included in an administrative
note in the summary statement.

Training in the Responsible Conduct
of Research

All applications for support under this FOA must
include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in the Responsible
Conduct of Research (RCR). Taking into account the specific
characteristics of the career development program, the level of scholar
experience, and the particular circumstances of the scholars, the reviewers
will evaluate the adequacy of the proposed RCR career development in relation
to the following five required components: 1) Format - Does the
plan satisfactorily address the format of instruction, e.g. lectures,
coursework and/or real-time discussion groups, including face-to-face
interaction? (A plan involving only on-line instruction is not
acceptable.); 2) Subject Matter – Does the plan include a
sufficiently broad selection of subject matter, such as conflict of interest,
authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety,
research misconduct, research ethics? 3) Faculty Participation -
Does the plan adequately describe how faculty will participate in the
instruction? For renewal applications, are all career development faculty who
served as course directors, speakers, lecturers, and/or discussion leaders
during the past project period named in the application? 4) Duration of
Instruction - Does the plan meet the minimum requirements for RCR,
i.e., at least eight contact hours of instruction? 5) Frequency of
Instruction – Does the plan meet the minimum requirements for RCR,
i.e., at least once during each career stage (i.e. postdoctoral level) and at a
frequency of no less than once every four years?

For renewal
applications, does the progress report document acceptable RCR instruction in
the five components described above? Does the plan describe how participation
in RCR instruction is being monitored? Are appropriate changes in the plan for RCR instruction
proposed in response to feedback and in response to evolving issues related to
responsible conduct of research?

Plans and past
record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the
summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.

Select Agent Research

Reviewers will assess the information provided in
this section of the application, including (1) the Select Agent(s) to be used
in the proposed research, (2) the registration status of all entities where
Select Agent(s) will be used, (3) the procedures that will be used to monitor
possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and (4) plans for appropriate
biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Budget and Period of Support

Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the
requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to
the proposed research.

2. Review and Selection
Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical
merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by NIGMS in
accordance with NIH peer
review policy and procedures, using the stated review
criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA
Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

May undergo a selection process in which only those applications
deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top
half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact
score.

Will receive a written critique.

Appeals
of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted response
to this FOA.

Applications will be assigned to NIGMS. Applications will
compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. Following
initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of
review by the National Advisory Council General Medical Sciences. The following
will be considered in making funding decisions:

Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as
determined by scientific peer review.

Availability of funds.

Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

Cost-effectiveness of the proposed budget.

Geographical and program balance

For renewal applications: Past performance of the program in
achieving its goals and objectives during the prior project period(s) is weighted
heavily in making funding decisions.

3. Anticipated Announcement
and Award Dates

After the peer review of the application is completed, the
PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique)
via the eRA
Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council
review, and earliest start date

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided
to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by
the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via
email to the grantee’s business official.

Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection
of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any
costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These
costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to terms and
conditions found on the Award
Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website. This includes any
recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this
website.

Recipients of federal financial
assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with
federal civil rights law. This means that recipients of HHS funds must ensure
equal access to their programs without regard to a person’s race, color,
national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, sex and religion.
This includes ensuring your programs are accessible to persons with limited
English proficiency. HHS recognizes that research projects are often limited
in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal
investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment
requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols
that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where
nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate
with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study
design, or the purpose of the research.

For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply
to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is
identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this FOA. HHS provides
general guidance to recipients of FFA on meeting their legal obligation to take
reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs by persons with
limited English proficiency. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/laws/revisedlep.html.
The HHS Office for Civil Rights also provides guidance on complying with civil
rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/section1557/index.html;
and http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/index.html.
Recipients of FFA also have specific legal obligations for serving qualified
individuals with disabilities. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/index.html.
Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about
obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/about/rgn-hqaddresses.html
or call 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697. Also note it is an HHS
Departmental goal to ensure access to quality, culturally competent care,
including long-term services and supports, for vulnerable populations. For
further guidance on providing culturally and linguistically appropriate
services, recipients should review the National Standards for Culturally and
Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care at http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=53.

Termination
of Award

When a grantee institution plans to terminate an award,
program and grants management staff at the NIH funding component must be notified
in writing as soon as possible.

Change
of Institution

The institutional career development program may not be
transferred from one institution to another.

Change
of Program

Awards are made for a specific program under the guidance
and leadership of a particular PD/PI. A change in any of these parameters
requires prior approval by the responsible NIGMS program officer. A rationale
must be provided for any proposed changes in the aims of the original,
peer-reviewed program. If the new program does not satisfy this
requirement, the award will be terminated.

Change
of PD/PI

If change of the PD/PI is necessary,
support of the award is not automatic but may be continued with prior written
approval by the NIGMS funding component, provided that the following conditions
are met. The current PD/PI or the grantee institution must submit a
written request for the change, signed by the appropriate institutional
business official and the proposed PD/PI, to the responsible program officer at
NIGMS that describes the reasons for the change. The Biographical Sketch of the
proposed PD/PI, including a complete listing of active research/training and
student development grant support, must be provided. The information in the
request must establish that the goals of the original peer-reviewed
institutional career development program will remain unchanged under the
direction of the new PD/PI and that the new PD/PI has the appropriate research
and administrative expertise to lead the program. This request must be submitted
sufficiently in advance of the requested effective date to allow the necessary
time for review.

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Not Applicable

3. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required
to submit the Research
Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually. Continuation support will not
be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted.

Failure by the grantee institution to submit required forms
in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure
disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of
2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants
to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation
under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of
applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to
the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov
on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH
Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting
requirement.

Other Reporting Requirements

The institution must submit a completed Statement of
Appointment (PHS Form
2271) for each scholar appointed for eight weeks or more or reappointed to
the training grant. Grantees must submit the PHS 2271 data electronically using
the xTrain system. More information on xTrain is available at xTrain (eRA
Commons). An appointment or reappointment may begin any time during the
budget period, but not before the budget period start date of the grant year.

A notarized statement verifying possession of permanent residency
documentation must be submitted with the Statement of Appointment (PHS Form
2271). Individuals with a Conditional Permanent Resident status must first
meet full (non-conditional) Permanent Residency requirements before receiving
support.

The progress report must provide information on the
implementation and outcome of the proposed career development program, any
modifications to the program as originally proposed and details about the program
outcomes.

A narrative should be
included in the annual progress report and should describe the following:

Overall program impact on partner institution(s) in terms of
courses/curriculum, pedagogy, student research and career mentoring, and
faculty research collaborations with RIIs.

Outcomes of the program evaluation.

Any changes made to the program as a result of the evaluation or
for other reasons.

Summary outcome data on recruitment, appointments and career
outcomes of scholars as well as information on program's impact at partner
institution(s). If relevant, additional explanation may be provided in the
narrative.

The progress report must also contain a one-page narrative
prepared by the Program Coordinator at the partner institution that provides a
detailed explanation of how the partner institution has benefited from the
IRACDA program in the previous cycle.

The narrative part is limited to up to five pages, and
numerical and other data, including scholars publications, may be presented in
tabular form (tables and figures are not counted in the five-page limit). Large
tables and figures as well as the summary of annual evaluation report should be
included in the appendix.

4. Evaluation

In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related
programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the
effectiveness of this program from databases and from participants themselves. Participants
may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on
various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from
research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and
other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.

Within ten years of making awards under this program, NIH will
assess the program’s overall outcomes, gauge its effectiveness in enhancing
diversity, and consider whether there is a continuing need for the program.
Upon the completion of this evaluation, NIH will determine whether to (a)
continue the program as currently configured, (b) continue the program with
modifications, or (c) discontinue the program.

For
programs involving postdoctoral scholars:

Subsequent participation in a formal research training or career
development program in a STEM field

Subsequent participation in research or employment in a STEM
field

Authorship of scientific publications in a STEM field

Subsequent independent research grant support from NIH or another
source

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity
and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.